1
as in dual
consisting of two members or parts that are usually joined
the double-edged purpose of the sales promotion is to clear out existing stock and to attract new customers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
her double-edged remark that she hoped that I ultimately got what I deserved
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Recent Examples of double-edged
There, too, his advocacy is double-edged.
—
Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
Given the fact that more than 20 of her rapists are still roaming free, this fame may be double-edged.
—Gaby Wood, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2026
Seneca’s and Cicero’s invocations of humanitas were as double-edged as our own talk of the humanities, pointing at once to a body of knowledge and to a moral choice that learning might inspire.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025
However, trust is double-edged.
—Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Putin boasts of Russia’s record-low 2.3% unemployment rate, but this sword is double-edged.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 26 Jan. 2025
For Eisenberg’s film, the decision is double-edged: from the perspective of the characters, exceptional demands are placed on the dialogue to make their past come to life, but the dialogue isn’t sufficiently rich or imaginative to meet the challenge.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
Usually double-edged, the weapons were occasionally decorated with engraved patterns.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024
Among artists and intellectuals, technology has always been double-edged, utopian and dystopian.
—Jed Perl, The New York Review of Books, 27 Apr. 2023
Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
Given the fact that more than 20 of her rapists are still roaming free, this fame may be double-edged.
—Gaby Wood, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2026
Seneca’s and Cicero’s invocations of humanitas were as double-edged as our own talk of the humanities, pointing at once to a body of knowledge and to a moral choice that learning might inspire.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025
However, trust is double-edged.
—Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Putin boasts of Russia’s record-low 2.3% unemployment rate, but this sword is double-edged.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 26 Jan. 2025
For Eisenberg’s film, the decision is double-edged: from the perspective of the characters, exceptional demands are placed on the dialogue to make their past come to life, but the dialogue isn’t sufficiently rich or imaginative to meet the challenge.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
Usually double-edged, the weapons were occasionally decorated with engraved patterns.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024
Among artists and intellectuals, technology has always been double-edged, utopian and dystopian.
—Jed Perl, The New York Review of Books, 27 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for double-edged
Adjective
-
Avid entertainers and wellness enthusiasts will love the 6,950-square-foot home and its chef’s kitchen with dual islands.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Mar. 2026
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The dynamic is a real problem for the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate of price stability and full employment.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Language that humans easily understand can be too ambiguous for machines, especially when multiple objects look similar.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Was there any thought of ending there and leaving what happens next ambiguous?—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The title is binary; the work is not.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Vanity Fair,
25 Mar. 2026
-
This unexpected outcome could provide new insights into binary asteroid systems and, crucially, how their orbits change after impacts.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The three-page letter is somewhat cryptic.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The lyrics are often cryptic and clipped, but bear evidence of turbulence and tumult.—
Colin Joyce,
Pitchfork,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His first season was remarkable, with the double wins against Duke the twin highlights of his coaching career — although a loss to Kansas in the national championship after holding a big lead was jarringly similar in spirit to Thursday’s shocker of a loss to VCU.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
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Rosner’s twin sister, Lanie, is Benet’s catcher and has committed to Southern Illinois.—
Matt Le Cren,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His big break came when the Tar Heels hired him — a guy with direct connections to Air Force and Kansas, but not so much to UNC — to be an obscure assistant coach.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Rename the file, banish it to some obscure folder.—
JD Barker,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
On the last night that anybody else reportedly saw Nancy, that camera caught a glimpse of a person clad in dark clothes, wearing gloves and a black balaclava, unidentifiable, standing at the threshold.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
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Not only did that article form the basis of the film, but Lumet actually took the note and cast Pacino in the role of that dark, thin fellow.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Double-edged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/double-edged. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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